Victoria is leading the country in the opening of new Government schools, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Celebrating the results, Minister for Education, Natalie Hutchins said the data showed Victoria had the largest increase in new schools in the nation in the past five years and represented nearly half of all schools opened in Australia.
Ms Hutchins said most of the State’s new schools were opened in Melbourne’s growth corridors.
“Victoria has also experienced growth in the number of teaching staff with 10.9 per cent more staff than five years ago, representing a national growth rate second only to the ACT,” Ms Hutchins said.
“Victoria has the second-best student to teacher ratios in the country, behind only the Northern Territory,” she said.
“Victoria’s student to teacher ratios have improved significantly from 14.1 in 2015 to 12.7 in 2022, reflecting the increased investment in the State’s teaching workforce.”
Ms Hutchins said school participation rates had also grown over the five-year period, with participation rates for 15- to 19-year-olds exceeding the national average.
She said the State’s continuation rate was second only to Tasmania.
“Enrolments in government schools in Victoria have remained above the national average every year for five years, growing by 0.1 per cent in 2022.”
Ms Hutchins said the figures did not include a further increase of 12 Victoria schools this year.
